CROTHERSVILLE — Two matters related to the Crothersville Police Department were discussed during a recent town council meeting.
The Crothersville Town Council unanimously approved using up to $32,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding toward replacing a police vehicle that was involved in a December pursuit that ended on the north end of Austin.
On a 4-1 vote, the council approved putting the two parcels where the former police station was located on the market. Councilman Jamy Greathouse cast the lone nay vote.
Police Chief Matt Browning’s 2021 Dodge Ram was damaged when it collided with a stolen Dodge Charger SRT at U.S. 31 and Booe Road, ending a pursuit that went through Jackson and Scott counties. Neither Browning nor his K-9, Luna, were injured.
Clerk-Treasurer Danieta Foster said she has received $36,000 from insurance, and John Jones in Salem has a white police truck that costs $46,865 on the lot. Once it’s upfitted, the total cost would be nearly $60,000.
With the town still having nearly $78,000 in ARPA funds available, there’s enough to put toward the truck to make up the difference.
“(Browning) can get it and order it and have it retrofitted for Luna, which he doesn’t have right now,” Foster told the council. “I think it would be better to get this one. If we have to, take the money out of ARPA. It has to be spent by the end of this year. Pay the rest of it and start the rotation for another (police vehicle) now.”
Trena Carter with Administrative Resources association said this would be a good time to begin the process of applying for U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development funding for replacement vehicles for the police department. That would include getting price quotes.
Foster said four of the department’s police vehicles have been in and out of the shop.
Carter said it has taken nearly two years for some departments to get new vehicles.
“I know you don’t have that time frame (for Browning’s replacement truck), but if we get on that rotation where we’re going to replace them in a certain specific time frame, it would be perfect to apply for USDA funds for that,” she said.
With the former police station property, which sits on 0.45 acres at Moore and Preston streets, the town received two appraisals — $93,000 and $97,000 — after last month approving a resolution regarding interest in the sale of real estate. That doesn’t mean the property has to be sold. It just gave Foster authority to get appraisals.
The average of the two is $95,000, and council President Terry Richey said the town can’t sell the property for anything less than that.
In September 2023, the town bought a building at 116 N. Armstrong St. for $124,900 for the new location of the police station. A month before, the council approved using ARPA funding for the purchase of the 0.15-acre property up to the amount of the average of two appraisals.
After some painting was done at that building, leaks were found in the roof, so the council approved a new roof and new gutters.
In terms of funding that project, Foster said the town could borrow from the water depreciating fund until the police department is out of the Moore Street building and it’s sold. If it wasn’t paid back by the end of 2023, the town could get a six-month extension. The town now has until June to sell the building if it chooses to do so.
During the recent meeting, Greathouse said he wanted another month to make a decision on the property because he’s still trying to get a meeting set up with a medical group about the possibility of opening a primary care office in town. The Moore Street building used to be a doctor’s office, and a second building was there until it was torn down.
“What if we went ahead and decided to sell it and we keep getting this on the road, and then pending if they are interested in buying or leasing that, we could talk about that then?” Richey asked.
Greathouse said the town could move forward with listing the property and getting paperwork going but not putting a For Sale sign up until another month.
“I’m just worried about the time,” Richey said, as the process could take around three months and they are facing the June deadline. “If it’s put up for sale and we have an offer, I feel like we need to take it. If we don’t have an offer and you meet with someone and they say, ‘We’d be interested in leasing,’ that might be something we could work out at that time.”
Councilman Chad Wilson said he thinks the town needs to try to put the property on the market, and he made that motion. It was seconded by Councilman Mark Wilkerson, and the vote was 4-1.
Greathouse said he’s not a big proponent of selling property owned by the town, especially since the town purchased the parcel with the building for $100 and the second parcel for $0 in 2009.
“If we look at trying to do anything or move anywhere or build anything else, the acquisition cost to purchase equivalent is going to be twofold with what we’re going to get from that,” he said. “That’s the reason I was looking at other alternatives to where we would still retain ownership and be able to do our due diligence with the funds.”
Wilson also made a motion to list the property with real estate agent Jared Richey with Breeden Commercial. The vote was 4-0 with Terry Richey abstaining because Jared is her son.